Pin-tumbler lock.



No; 758,024. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904..

' w. H, TAYLOR.

PIN I'UMBLERLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1903. N0 MODEL. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W my E. i5 r 7% V 4 v Tm/ No. 758,024. PATENTED' APR. 19*, 1904. w. H. TAYLOR. PIN TUMBLER LOOK. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 22, 1903.

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KOIODBL Wssss 4 UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.-

YALE & TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

NECTICUT.

or STAMFORD, CON- PlN-TUMBLER LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,024, dated. April 19, 1904.

Application filed uly 22, 1903. Serial No. 166,625- (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN H. TAYLOR, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pin-Tumbler Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in pin-tumbler locks.

Pin-tumbler locks are generally constructed with a plug,(which is usually round, but may be of any other shape,) this plug fitting into a casing commonly called a tumbler-case. The bolting mechanism of the lock is then operated by means of the movement of this plug relatively to the tumbler-case, either by re- Volving the plug or by longitudinal movement. The plug is normally locked to its surrounding case by means of pins, which are pressed into the locking position by means of springs or otherwise, and when these pins are set by the proper key the points of juncture between the upper and lower portions of the pins coincide with the line between the plug and its surrounding case.

' In all pin-tumbler locks the usual mode of picking is to raise the series of tumblers successively to the proper point where the upper and lower portions of the tumblers join, so that this point of juncture coincides with the line between the plug and its surrounding tumbler-case, thus leaving the plug free to be moved. This method of picking involves two conditions precedent, one of which is that access shall be had to the bottoms of the tumblers, and, second, that a moving pressure can be brought against the tumbler and plugs, so that once a tumbler is raised to its proper point the plug can be moved sufficiently so that the upper portion of the tumbler will be held up by the periphery of the plug.

My present invention comprehends the elimination of the two conditions above referred to by providing, first, a guard or curtain which normally closes the keyway at a point so low that a picking-tool cannot be introduced to a position to engage any of the tumblers with- I out moving the curtain or guard,which movement of the curtain or guard operates to positively lock the plug to its surrounding cylinder and hold it so locked until the curtainor guard again assumes its normal position. Again, the locking device actuated by the curtain so connects the plug and its tumbler-case that there cannot be any movement of the plug within the tumbler-case. Hence if a pickingtool be introduced and the tumbler raised the curtain or guard actuated locking device will preventthat limited movement of the plug which, as before explained, is essential to the holdingup the tumblers so raised bythe picking-tool.

The object therefore of the present-invention is to eliminate as far as possible the possibility of picking a pin-tumblerlock; andthe invention consists in the parts and combinaand pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vie-w in transverse section of alock embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of same. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the plug. Fig. 4 is a view of the key used with the construction shown in the previous figures. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, and Fig. 6 is a view in elevation, of a modified form of lock. Fig. 7 is aview of the key for the latter. Fig. 8 is a view in transverse section. Fig. 9 is 'a view in elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 10 a view in section on the line c d of Fig. 9 of another modification. Fig. 11 is a view of the key forithelatter. Fig.12 is a view in transverse section, and

of still another modification; and Fig. 14 isa view of the key for the latter.

While I would have it understood that-my all kinds of pin-tumbler looks, I have illustrated it in connection with locks wherein. the plug rotates within the tumbler-case.

tion of parts, as will be more fully explained,

Fig.1?) a View in elevation, partly in section,-

invention is, as above explained, applicableto 1 represents the tumbler-case of a pin-tum- 55 to permit the plug to turn.

bler lock, 2 the plug, and 3 the ordinary twopart spring-actuated pin-tumblers which normally lock the plug against movement in the case. This plug is provided with the usual key-slot 4:. In the construction shown in 'Figs. 1 and 2 the key-slot i communicates moved to one side. Depending into the cavity 5 and resting on the smaller sphere 6 is the guard-tumbler or locking device 7. This tumbler is made in two-parts, like the ordinary pin-tumbler, but is constructed to closely fit its seat in the plug 2 and in the tumbler- Case 1, so that when the guard-tumbler 7 is moved to a position to lock the plug 2 there can be no movement whatever of the plug within the case. The ordinary tumbler 3 in rear of the guard-tumbler (in the construction'disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, as well as in the other constructions,) is fitted more loosely than the guard or curtain tumbler 7, so that the plug 2 will when locked have a greater amount of rotary movement than is ordinary, while the guard or curtain tumbler 7 is more tightly fitted, so that when it is brought into play by the action of a pickingtool or otherwise it will lock the plug to its tumbler-case so closely that the plug cannot be revolved sufficiently to cause any pressure between the plug 2, the ordinary tumblers 3,

and the case 1. With this construction the "into the plug.

sphere or curtain 6guards the entrance to the key-slot 4:, and to reach the'pin-turnblers 3 this curtain 6 must be moved out of the path of the key 8, and this is accomplished by beveling the key at one side adjacent to its free end, so that when the key is inserted the beveled side engages the larger sphere 6'and pushes it laterally and upwardly and elevates the smaller sphere 6 and also the guard-tumbler 7, which rests in contact with said smaller sphere. This elevation of the guard-tumbler 7 locks the plug to the tumbler-case. As the key is inserted the bittings on the edge thereof engage the pin-tumblers 3, and when the key has been fully inserted the regular pin-tumblers have been set so as The proper key for the lock is, as shown in Fig. 4, provided at a'point in rear of the bittings with a slot 9, which slot when the key is fully inserted rests adjacent to the cavity 5, thus permitting the curtain 6 to fall back into its normal position and guard-tumbler 7 to be retracted With the parts thus disposed the plug is free to be rotated by the key, and as soon as the key is withdrawn the curtain 6 again gravitates into position across the keyslot 4 and absolutely prevents any access to the pin-tumblers without first causing the plug to be locked by the'tumbler 7. In the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 precisely the same result is accomplished by the laterally-sliding curtain 10. This curtain is in the form of a two-part pin-tumbler constituting the locking device, with its lower end bifurcated, one member, 11, of the bifurcated end being longer than the other member, 12. The member 12 normally obstructs the entrance to the key-slot 4:, while the other member, 11, rests within a recess above the keyslot. By introducing the key' 8 the beveled side of the end of the latter moves the curtain 1O laterally until the member 12 has been moved to one side of the key-slot 4. This movement of the curtain 1O locks the plug 2 to the tumbler-case 1, as before explained, and prevents any rotation of the plug until the proper key has been fully inserted, when the member 12 springs back into the slot 9 in the key 8, and thus leaves the plug 2 free tov be rotated.

In Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 I have disclosed a construction wherein two guards or curtains 13 are located on opposite sides of the keyslot and both enter and obstruct the entrance in the latter. These guards or curtains 13 are located in diflerentplanes and one in ad'- yance of the other and are actuated by-the key 8, (shown in Fig. 11,) having a recess or cavity 9 for each curtain.

seen that before theplug can be rotated the several pin-tumblers 3 will have to be properly set and the two guards be in their normal positions.

In Figs. 12, 13, and 14 the guard or curtain 15 is in the form of a pin-tumbler and is located below and in line with the key-slot 4: and the key 8 is provided on its lower edge with a notch 16, in which the guard or curtain 15 rests when the key has been completely inserted.

Whatever the construction it is important that the curtain or guard should in every case extend below the pin-tumblers, hence must necessarily be first actuated before the pintumblers become accessible.

In the claims I have referred to the guard or curtain as engaging the key below the bitted edge of the latter. In the locks shown the guards orvcurtains all engage the key below the bitted edge; but if the lock were inverted, so as to bring the pin-tumbler up through the floor of the slot, thelower edge of the key would be the bitted edge and the guard or curtain would engage the key above the bitted edge. Hence by the term below I mean any part of the key other than the edge engaged by the pin-tumblers.

While I have shown and described a guard These guards or curtains 13 are normally held in the key-slot by the fiat springs 14:, and it will be readily iio or curtain of substantially U shape and also shown and described a plug carrying a plurality of guards, I make no specific claim herein to such devices, but have claimed them in separate applications, filed December 18, 1903.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact conitruction of parts herein shown and described;

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a tumbler-case, plug and pin-tumblers carried by said plug, of a guard or curtain also carried by said plug and normally obstructing the key-slot in advance of the pin-tumblers, and arranged to engage the key below the bitted portion thereof, and a device actuated by said guard or curtain for locking the plug to the cylinder or tumbler-case and holding it so locked until the guard or curtain again assumes its normal position.

2. The combination with a tumbler -case, plug and pin-tumblers carried by said plug, of a guard or curtain normally in such a position that the plug may be fully revolved in the tumbler-case, but which, when moved by the insertion of a key or other instrument operates to lock the plug to the case, the said guard or curtain being located in advance of the pintumblers and engaging the key below the bitted portion of the latter.

3. In a pin-tumbler lock the combination with a plug and its case, pin-tumblers carried by the plug and a guard or curtain also carried by the plug and arranged to engage the key below the bitted edge of the latter, of a key provided with bittings on one edge to set the tumblers, and with an opening in its side so receive the guard or curtain when the key it fully inserted.

4. In a pin-tumbler lock the combination with a plug and its case, pin-tumblers carried by the plug and a guard or curtain also carried by the plug and arranged to engage the key at a point below the bitted edge thereof, of a key beveled at its front end to engage and set the tumblers by insertion, and also beveled on its side at its front end to engage and dislodge the guard or curtain.

5. The combination of a tumbler-case, plug, pin-tumblers and a guard-tumbler carried by the plug, the said guard-tumbler normally obstructing the key-slot and located in advance of the pin-tumblers, the said guard moving in a direction transverse to the line of motion of the pin-tumblers and closing the keyway, and a key of less thickness than the diameter of the tumbler.

6. The combination with a tumbler-case, plug and pin-tumblers carried by the plug, of a guard carried by the plug and comprising a member adapted to enter a recess in the case, and a laterally-movable member sustaining said first-mentioned member, the said laterally-movable member normally obstructing the key-slot in the plug in advance of the pintumblers and adapted to engage the key below the bitted portion of the latter.

7-. The combination with a tumbler-case, plug and pin-tumblers carried bythe plug, of a guard carried by the plug and comprising a member adapted to be projected into a recess in the case and a plurality of loose members supporting said first-mentioned member, one of said loose members normally obstructing the key-slot in the plug in advance of the pin-tumblers and adapted to engage the key below the bitted portion of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARREN H. TAYLOR. 

